Chisholm: Calderon not going to last season in T.O.

A good article courtesy of Tim Chisholm over at TSN:

The first is dealing with the Calderon-Turkoglu redundancy. For the record, I don't hate Calderon or wish him ill, and I was in full support of re-signing him in 2008. At the time the deal made sense given the roster and the direction of the club. Also, given the information available at that time I'd support that decision again today. The problem is that the roster that surrounds him now doesn't suit him as a player. In fact, it only makes his defensive woes more hazardous because there are no defenders to cover his tracks and his skill set was replicated this summer with the Hedo signing. The Raptors have won two of the three games they've played since Calderon has returned to the lineup from injury, which proves he isn't a disastrous liability, but Hedo's reduced ball-handling responsibility in that time has clearly caused regression in his game and in his fit with the team. That means that one of them is going to have to move out to make way for the other.

If the Raptors can find a taker for Hedo's deal without killing the roster in the process they should go for it. However, what possible deal could that be? It's unlikely that Portland would want him after he spurned them this summer. Orlando's woes don't seem dire enough to get them to reverse their decision to not pay him $10-million-plus per year. Teams without playmaking point guards (Charlotte, Detroit, Houston, Indiana, Philadelphia and Washington) are almost all rebuilding clubs who'd have zero interest in moving good players out for a 30-year-old, unathletic small forward. Plus, when it comes right down to it, he is the team's best and most natural playmaker, and he has proven it when he has been given some control over the offence.
That means that Calderon is probably not going to last the season in Toronto. The club has too many other holes to fill to keep him around and he plays a position too in demand to let rot on the bench. Heck, the fact of the matter is he's too good to be a reserve on this iteration of the ballclub, where Jack and Turkoglu handily covered his absence in December (I also promise to make this the last time I write about this issue).

I can see the Raps trading Calderon, but I don't think they really need to. A good PG combo can be a real strength for us like it was a few years back. The issue is still scoring and creativity from the wing spot, something Hedo is not addressing. A Calderon deal needs to be made with extreme care because not only does it need to address the wing, but also the PG as it would leave us very thin there.

Trading Turkoglu for someone like Butler would be a better deal. It would mean less minutes for Belinelli and DeRozan, but hopefully that would improve the competitiveness and maybe we'll see more Belinelli at the PG.

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Arsenalist wrote:

I can see the Raps trading Calderon, but I don't think they really need to. A good PG combo can be a real strength for us like it was a few years back. The issue is still scoring and creativity from the wing spot, something Hedo is not addressing. A Calderon deal needs to be made with extreme care because not only does it need to address the wing, but also the PG as it would leave us very thin there.

Trading Turkoglu for someone like Butler would be a better deal. It would mean less minutes for Belinelli and DeRozan, but hopefully that would improve the competitiveness and maybe we'll see more Belinelli at the PG.

All we need is someone to bring the ball up, make some passes, penetrate a little bit, and knock down open shots. A depth lineup of Jack/Banks/Belli is enough.
You know as well as I that Hedo is impossible to move (unless we want to give up more picks.) We have to make Hedo effective or we are screwed.

All we need is someone to bring the ball up, make some passes, penetrate a little bit, and knock down open shots. A depth lineup of Jack/Banks/Belli is enough.
You know as well as I that Hedo is impossible to move (unless we want to give up more picks.) We have to make Hedo effective or we are screwed.

I would be amazing if Triano figured out a way to work out the Jack/Caldy/Turk situation. The Raps have arguably one of the best PG tandems in the league. It would be a shame to break that up. But I agree that it seems it would be a lot easier to move Caldy's contract instead of Turks.

I said it before and I'll say it again....TSN does not equal basketball if I want to know something about hockey I will tune into TSN other then that no go.

Realistically we're keeping our starting line-up and the players that will be/can be moved are Wright, Belinelli, O'Bryant, Johnson, Banks. No one else is going at deadline unless we get an all-star (or someone damn near close to it.) and I don't believe Calderon or Hedo will produce one of those.

I said it before and I'll say it again....TSN does not equal basketball if I want to know something about hockey I will tune into TSN other then that no go.

Realistically we're keeping our starting line-up and the players that will be/can be moved are Wright, Belinelli, O'Bryant, Johnson, Banks. No one else is going at deadline unless we get an all-star (or someone damn near close to it.) and I don't believe Calderon or Hedo will produce one of those.

When your $8.5M/yr PG can't guard his own shadow and is not willing to attempt to rebound I see an issue.

I disagree. Jack, right now, is more effective with the first unit than Jose. Then throw in the economics of it all who are they going to try and deal? The guy who is going to make $15M over the next three years or the guy who's going to make $30M? Is Calderon worth twice the money? I leave it there for you.